WHAT THE FRAMEWORK COVERS

Learn AI the way
you use it at work.

AI basics are a short course, not a degree.

In February 2026 the US Department of Labor published an AI Literacy Framework for workforce and education programs. It sets out five content areas a good course should cover, from giving clear instructions to checking the answers.

5 AREAS in the framework

Check a task

Adults seen from behind at a community learning room table with laptops, an instructor pointing at a large screen in soft daylight — AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

Ask clearly
Check the answer
Keep private data out
Everyday skills, not coding

THE SHORT ANSWER

Foundations first,
judgment always.

The framework sets out five content areas.
Two of them are about checking AI and using it safely.

DIRECT AI

Ask clearly, then refine

The framework says workers should learn to give AI clear instructions, context and iterative feedback to get useful results, without needing to code.

Check a task

EXPLORE USES

Know where it helps

It asks workers to learn where AI is applied in real workplace settings, from productivity and creative tasks to decision support.

How to start

EVALUATE

Check before you rely on it

AI can produce confident but incorrect outputs. The framework asks workers to verify results, apply their own judgment and avoid overreliance.

See the numbers

A QUICK TASK CHECK

Which skill does
this task use?

Pick an everyday work task to see which part of the framework it draws on. The bar shows how much the guidance asks you to stop and check before relying on the result.

Task check

Choose a taskDrafting a routine emailBrainstorming ideas for a projectAsking why the tool got a fact wrongSummarizing figures for a reportPasting in personal or customer details

Drafting a routine emailDirect AI

Clear instructions, context and feedback on each draft help the tool give you something useful. Drafting is one of the everyday productivity tasks the framework has in mind.

Brainstorming ideas for a projectExplore uses

The framework lists creative tasks alongside productivity work as places where AI is used in real workplaces. Treat the ideas as a starting point.

Asking why the tool got a fact wrongUnderstand AI

Understanding AI principles means a basic working knowledge of how these systems operate, including why they can sound sure of themselves and still be wrong.

Summarizing figures for a reportEvaluate outputs

Check whether the result is accurate, complete and suitable, and cross-check it against trusted sources before anyone relies on it.

Pasting in personal or customer detailsUse responsibly

The framework says workers should learn what types of data should not be entered into AI tools and how to prevent accidental disclosure of confidential information.

Source: US Department of Labor, Training and Employment Notice 07-25, The U.S. Department of Labor's Artificial Intelligence Literacy Framework (2026).

Based on the US Department of Labor's AI Literacy Framework (TEN 07-25). General information only.

TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING

Some use it,
most still don't.

Survey figures on US workers and businesses
from Pew Research Center and the Census Bureau.

21%

US workers who do at least some of their work with AI

In a September 2025 survey, 21% of US workers said at least some of their work is done with AI, up from 16% about a year earlier. 65% said they don't use AI much or at all.

WORKERS · PEW RESEARCH CENTER

1 in 5

US businesses using AI, early May 2026

The Business Trends and Outlook Survey put AI use at 19.8% of US businesses as of May 3, 2026, and 37% among firms with 250 or more employees.

BUSINESSES · CENSUS BUREAU

Fewer than 20% of the smallest firms, with four or fewer employees, reported using AI, and use among firms with fewer than 20 employees did not change significantly between December 2025 and May 2026.

FOUR STEPS TO START

Start small,
then build.

The framework is a guide for training programs, not a course in itself. These steps follow what it says an AI-literate worker should be able to do.

Pick training that covers all five areas
Look for a course that covers understanding AI, exploring uses, directing it, evaluating outputs and using it responsibly.
Practice on a low-stakes task
Try drafting a message or organizing notes, and refine your instructions until the result is clearer.
Check every answer
AI can produce confident but incorrect outputs. Compare them with a source you trust before you use them.
Keep sensitive details out
Learn which kinds of data should not go into AI tools, and follow your workplace's policies.

A person's hand holding a pen, ticking through a printed report next to an open laptop, checking it line by line — AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

Hands typing on a laptop beside a notebook with handwritten notes and a mug of coffee on a wooden desk — AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

WHY ACCESS IS UNEVEN

Getting online
comes first.

The framework notes that for some workers, the first step is digital literacy, device access or broadband connectivity. It suggests options such as public computer labs, mobile-first content and courses people can take on their own schedule.

The Labor Department has also issued guidance promoting the use of Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funding and governor's reserve money to help participants develop AI skills, and the framework says it intends to work with companies that pledged free AI education resources.

Questions

Questions people ask

What is the DOL AI Literacy Framework?

A guide the US Department of Labor published in February 2026 for workforce and education programs. It sets out five foundational content areas and seven delivery principles for teaching AI skills.

What are the five content areas?

Understand AI principles, explore AI uses, direct AI effectively, evaluate AI outputs and use AI responsibly, which covers data protection, workplace policies and accountability.

Do I need to know how to code?

No. The framework describes directing AI as giving it clear instructions, context and feedback to get useful results, without needing to code.

Can I trust what an AI tool tells me?

Not without checking. The framework warns that AI can produce confident but incorrect outputs, so results should be verified against trusted sources.

Is it safe to type work information into a chatbot?

Be careful. The framework says workers should learn what types of data should not be entered into AI tools and how to prevent accidental disclosure of confidential information.

Learn AI the way
you use it at work.